Self chilling beverage system

ABSTRACT

The currently disclosed invention consists of a system for rapidly chilling a beverage within a drinking container while it is being consumed. The preferred embodiment consists of two straight plastic tubes, one fitting inside the other, with ice contained between the outer tube and the inner tube, wherein beverage can be drawn up through the inner tube in the manner of a drinking straw. The tubes are created by extrusion molding, with an optional weight located within the outer tube, surrounding the base of the inner tube, and encased in plastic. Other embodiments of this system are possible, as are described within the specification incorporated herein.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR ASA TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM (EFS-WEB)

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINTINVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention deals with a new method of chilling a beverage quickly,easily, and safely while it is being consumed, without using ice cubes,which could water down the beverage, or chemical filled units whichcould contaminate the beverage.

Field of Search

62/5, 62/293, 62/294, 62/371, 62/372, 62/400, 62/457, 62/457.2,62/457.3, 62/457.4, 220/90.2, 222/146.6, 239/33.

REFERENCES CITED

United States Patent Documents

7,810,348 Shewchuck, Jeffery D. Oct. 12, 2010 62/457.2 D715,143S Hewitt,Benjamin R. Oct. 14, 2014 D9/436 7,140,196 Pfeifer, Thomas J. et al Nov.28, 2006 62/457.3 7,082,784 Roth, Hank et al Aug. 1, 2006 62/457.27,069,739 Porter, Michael Jul. 9, 2002 62/457.3 7,051,550 Roth, Henry etal May 30, 2006 62/457.2 6,938,436 Roth, Henry et al Sep. 6, 200562/457.2 6,761,041 Roth, Henry et al Jul. 13, 2004 62/457.2 6,619,068Won, Gil Suh Sep. 16, 2003 62/371 6,584,800 Roth, Hank et al Jul. 1,2003 62/257.3 6,494,056 Roth, Hank et al Dec. 17, 2002 62/457.36,415,624 Connors, Frank R. et al Jul. 9, 2002 62/457.3 5,765,385Childs, Michael A. Jun. 16, 1998 62/293 5,655,384 Joslin, William DanielJr. Aug. 12, 1997 62/294 5,456,090 McCoy, Mark Oct. 10, 1995 62/372D559,870S Conlon, Edward B. Jr. Jan. 15, 2008 D15/90 5,507,156 Redmon,Christopher L. Apr. 16, 1996 62/400 5,394,703 Anthony, Michael Mar. 7,1995 62/5 5,361,604 Pier, Steven J. et al Nov. 8, 1994 62/547.45,288,019 Gorochow, Erica Feb. 22, 1994 239//33 5,129,238 Schwartz,James A. et al Jul. 14, 1992 62/457.3 5,009,083 Spinos, Frank T. et alApr. 23, 1991 62/400 4,688,395 Holcomb, Robert R. Aug. 25, 1987 62/2944,669,273 Fischer, Victor H. et al Jun. 2, 1987 62/294 4,478,346 Spong,Gary W. Oct. 23, 1984 220/90.2 3,840,153 Devlin, Edward J. Oct. 8, 1974222/146.6 3,636,726 Rosenfeld, Nathan et al Jan. 25, 1971 62/2943,591,937 Parks, Eugene H. Aug. 10, 1971 62/294 3,525,236 Solhldiah,Nariman Aug. 25, 1970 62/294 3,205,677 Stoner, A. M. Sep. 14, 196562/457 1,721,311 Muenchen, Peter J. Jul. 16, 1929 N/A

Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR1.97 and 1.98

For a long time people have been have been working on ways to chill roomtemperature beverages to an acceptable drinking temperature quickly andefficiently, without the addition of ice which can water down thebeverage. Placing the beverage into a refrigerator or freezer unitworks, but can take several hours. Placing the beverage in an ice filledcontainer, such as a cooler or tub will also chill the beverage,slightly faster than a refrigerator, but it still requires time to lowerthe temperature to an acceptable level, and use of this method islimited to sealed containers, such as cans or bottles, and is notadapted to personal containers such as glasses or mugs.

A number of US Patents disclose a method for chilling the beverageinside a container, most probably a metal can, by attaching a unitcontaining a liquid or gaseous coolant which is activated by variousmeans when it is desired to chill the beverage within the can. Examplesof such containers include US Patents U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,068, U.S. Pat.No. 5,765,385, U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,384, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,073, U.S.Pat. No. 4,688,395, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,273, U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,726,U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,937, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,236, all of which areincorporated into this document by reference. This method would beeffective in chilling a room temperature beverage in a reasonable amountof time, but it has the potential for a variety of problems, includingthe possibility for contamination of the beverage should the coolantfilled unit develop a leak. Even if the coolant is not toxic in nature,it could impart an unpleasant taste or odor to the beverage, which couldmake it unpalatable. Another possible complication is that beverage cansare for the most part standardized in size. Addition of the coolantfiled unit inside the can reduces the amount of beverage which can beput into the can, meaning purchasers of the beverage are getting lessfor their money. The only way to remedy this problem would be to changethe size of the cans to accommodate the additional volume taken up bythe added coolant filled unit, which manufacturers would be reluctant todo since it would mean retooling their entire process, which would causea considerable amount of expense. Therefore this concept, while workableto a point, is not cost effective.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,273 discloses an alternative embodiment of the abovedescribed method of cooling a beverage within a container such as a beeror soda can. In this embodiment a refrigerant material is contained in areservoir and released into an evaporator when the container is opened.Coils around the inside of the can channel the evaporated refrigerant tocool the contents of the can. As already shown, there have been a numberof such cooling units developed, but to date none have appeared on themarket due to the factors of possible contamination of the beverageshould the refrigerant leak into it, and the fact that should anyrefrigerant containing unit be inserted into a standard beverage can, itlimits the amount of beverage that can be put into the can. As in thecase of the other embodiments disclosed, in order for the amount ofbeverage to remain consistent, the size of the can would have toincrease, making the can more unwieldy and causing production machineryto require expensive changes which would make production much morecostly.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,346 discloses a drinking container in which abeverage is contained in the bottom of the container and a removable cupfits into the top of the container which is filled with ice. Holes inthe bottom of the removable ice cup allow the beverage to pass throughthe ice to be chilled, and a snap on lid with an incorporated drinkingspout allows the user to drink the beverage without interference fromthe ice. The main drawback to this unit is that the holes in the bottomof the removable ice cup allow water from the melting ice to drip intothe beverage thereby diluting it. This may not happen as rapidly aswould happen if the ice were placed directly into the beverage, but icedoes melt in a warm room, or outside on a warm day, particularly if thebeverage is allowed to sit in a warm place for any appreciable length oftime. Also, the ice holding cup would not be adaptable to other drinkingcontainers of different sizes, and drinking containers without theattached lid and drinking spout would be difficult to drink from becauseice would fall out of the cup when it is tilted to drink from, or beuncomfortably cold when coming into contact with the mouth whiledrinking, since the ice would not be shielded by being submerged in thebeverage.

Some US Patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,604 disclose a unit withice contained within the outer wall of the unit. While this type of unitdoes chill the beverage relatively quickly, there are disadvantages tothis method, including the fact that the entire unit must be placedinside a freezer between uses to the allow the water between the wallsto refreeze. Since the units are fairly large, they take up a great dealof space, especially if a refrigerator freezer compartment is used,making it difficult to store enough units for more than two or threedrinks to be chilled at a time. This would not be effective shouldchilling units be desired for a large party, or even for a small group,should people desire more than one drink, since the units would have tobe refrozen between uses, and such refreezing takes a considerableamount of time.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,677 discloses a cooling unit comprising a doublewalled inner cup with a coolant solution enclosed between the inner andouter walls, an outer cup which provides an air space between the innerand outer cup to provide a limited amount of insulating effect, with theability for a glass to be inserted within the inner cup, allowing abeverage contained within the glass to be cooled by the refrigerantbetween the walls of the inner cup. The inner cup is proposed to be madeof metal, and it is recommended that the outer cup also be made ofmetal. Since metal sweats when the contents of the container are coldand the outer wall is exposed to air, even the small air space betweenthe inner and outer cups would not prevent some degree of sweating onthe outer cup causing it to be uncomfortable to hold, and perhapscausing the container to be slippery, leading to the unit being droppedand the beverage being spilled or the inner glass being broken. Also,because of the shape of the inner cup, only a certain shape of glasscould be used, most specifically the type of glass used to servealcoholic beverages. This would limit the use of the unit for othertypes of glasses, and other types of beverages.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,721,311 discloses a unit which comprises a double walledvessel containing a freezing mixture between the inner and outer wallsand an inner vessel with a sealable lid which is used to contain theliquid which is to be chilled or frozen. The unit is meant to be used inthe same manner as a cocktail shaker to create the chilling or freezingof the inner liquid. The disadvantages of this method are that itrequires the specifically designed container in order to be used, and isnot adaptable to other types of containers, and that it must be shakenin order for the desired effect to be obtained, which requires bothconsiderable time and effort on the part of the user, and could also bemessy should the lid of the container come loose.

U.S. Design Patent D715,143S discloses an ice filled tube in an icicleshape which is inserted into a wine bottle, with the upper end of thetube acting as a cork to seal the bottle while the wine is chilling.This is the only use for which the unit is designed, and it is notadaptable for other uses. The unit is not usable for drinking from, asthere is no passage for the beverage to exit the bottle and the unitmust be removed from the bottle in order for the wine to be dispensed.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,196 discloses a large storage container fordispensing beverages, which contains a dispenser bowl surrounded by achannel containing a cooling medium. This design can function to a pointon a large scale, but does not lend itself to use in individual drinkingvessels.

Several US Patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,348, U.S. D559,8705,U.S. Pat. No. 6,584,800, U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,056, and U.S. Pat. No.5,507,156 disclose a cooling unit which is intended to be used in acontainer resembling a sports bottle. The common link among all thesedesigns is the fact that the disclosed cooling unit is designed for usewithin a sports bottle made specifically for use with that particularunit, and would not be adaptable for use in other sports bottles or inother types of drinking vessels, such as glasses or mugs preferred bythe user. Also since most sports bottles are standardized in size to fitinto standard cup holders or devices allowing them to be clipped ontobicycles and the like, the varying sizes of these specially designedsports bottles could prevent them from being used in this manner, whichis a possible reason why they are not found on the market. Also withU.S. Pat. No. 7,810,348 the internal cooling unit is quite large andtakes up a considerable amount of space. To hold an adequate amount ofbeverage, the container would have to be unusually large, which wouldmake it awkward to hold and difficult to drink from.

US Patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,083, U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,156, U.S. Pat.No. 6,494,056, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,584,800 disclose cooling units whichare positioned centrally within bottles specifically designed to receivethem, and held in place by alignment of a straw or drinking openingwhich is held in place by the cap of the bottle, or by the straw itself.None of these cooling units incorporate a weight in the lower extremityof the unit, which would lower the center of gravity of the unitstabilizing the unit to prevent it from shifting whatever the positionof the unit inside the cup. This lowered center of gravity would alsostabilize the position of the cup itself, making it more difficult forthe cup to tip, thereby spilling the liquid contained within it. In thecase of a cooling unit incorporating an anchoring weight, as in thecurrently disclosed invention, the cooling unit would not have to becentrally located, but could be mounted in an offset position withregard to the central axis of the outer container, which makes drinkingeasier, in the same way as the lid on a take out coffee cup allowsdrinking from the side of the cup rather than the center, for ease inconsuming the beverage.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,238 discloses a freeze pack to be inserted inside adrinking container. The freeze pack is anchored in the container bycontacts with the cap of the container. The freeze pack and drinkingopening is positioned in an offset alignment to the central axis of thecontainer, which makes drinking from the container easier, but thefreeze pack is not weighted at its lower extremity which would lower thecenter of gravity of the unit and stabilize the position of the freezepack, and the container as well. Since the freeze pack is designed tomeld with the specific container outlined for it, it would not beadaptable for use in other drinking vessels.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,153 discloses a refrigerant capsule to be insertedinto a squeezable container, to cool the contents of said container. Thecontainer is squeezed to spread the chilling effect to the enclosedbeverage, and to push the chilled beverage out of the container fordrinking. This could cause contamination of the contents of thecontainer should the squeezing process cause the refrigerant capsule tocrack or rupture, allowing the contents to leak into the beverage withinthe container.

US Patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,090, U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,056, and U.S.Pat. No. 6,584,800 each disclose a cooling unit centered inside a sportsbottle, held in place by an attachment means. None of the attachmentmeans used in these units, however are strong enough to withstand therough treatment that such bottles tend to receive, such as being knockedover, dropped, or thrown. The attaching means used in these units arealso overly complex, causing production costs to be higher. The unitsare also restricted by design to use within the specific container eachhas been created for use with, and are not adaptable for use with othercontainers.

US Patents U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,739 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,624 recitecooling units specifically designed for use with specific bottles. Inthe case of U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,739, the cooling unit is lowered intothe bottle, being attached to a drinking spout which forms a cap for thebottle. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,624, the cooling unit isinserted into a recess molded into the bottle, held in place by a plugwhich screws into the bottom of the bottle to prevent the cooling unitfrom falling out. The first cooling unit contains an excessive number ofparts, while the second requires an unusually shaped, thereforespecially molded bottle, with a separate plug. Both of these units,while being technically feasible to a point, are too complex andtherefore too expensive to make for them to come into common use.

What is needed is a cooling unit which is simple and inexpensive tomake, easy to use, and adaptable to a variety of drinking vessels. Thecurrent invention meets all of these criteria with a variety ofembodiments, as will be shown in the following specification andattached drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The currently disclosed invention consists of a method for rapidlychilling a beverage within a drinking container without placing thebeverage—filled container into a refrigerator or freezer, or adding iceto the drink itself, which would allow the beverage to be watered downby the ice as it melts. The preferred embodiment constitutes a tube withice contained within the outer walls and an inner opening for thebeverage to pass through, being cooled as it goes up to the mouthopening. This is especially useful when using a newly made or newlypurchased container of a beverage such as soda or juice, when it isdesired to be able to drink the beverage immediately, without placingthe beverage into a refrigerator or freezer for an extended period oftime to become cold for drinking. Other embodiments will also bedescribed herein, including but not limited to, a beverage cupincorporating a spiral beverage conducting channel, which allows thebeverage to spend a longer time surrounded by ice in the ice holdingchamber, allowing for faster and more complete cooling, a magneticbeverage container with ice filled units which attach to the containerby the use of magnetic strips, and a weighted removable ice tube whichwould be suitable for use with either a specially designed container, ora traditional glass, cup, or mug.

An alternative embodiment of the magnetic container could consist of aspecially designed glass, travel cup or mug containing special fasteningclasps on the inside walls, designed to hold ice filled units shaped tothe contour of the interior of the container, thus covering the majorityof the inside with ice, encased in plastic. Securing clips molded intothe upper edge of the container, or molded separately from high memoryplastic and sonic welded to the container, could be fastened over theupper edge of the ice filled units, to help hold them in place. The icefilled units could also incorporate very small protrusions on the sidefacing the inner wall of the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) Parts List

-   1. Beverage Container-   2. Removable Lid-   3. Lid Guides-   4. Lifting Indentation-   5. Lifting Protrusion-   6. Drinking Opening-   7. Drinking Opening Cover-   8. Slide Handle-   9. Attaching Means-   10. Attaching Tab-   11. Tube Guide-   12. Removable Ice Tube-   13. Ice Holding Chamber-   14. Beverage Conducting Channel-   15. Open Area for Beverage Flow-   16. Adapted Beverage Cup-   17. Spiral Beverage Conducting Channel-   18. Beverage Feed Opening-   19. Outer Wall-   20. Beverage Tube Opening-   21. Disposable Drinking Straw Holder-   22. Disposable Drinking Straw-   23. Ice Holding Unit-   24. Outer Foam Cover-   25. Adhesive Magnet Strip-   26. Contact Points-   27. Magnetic Beverage Container-   28. Metal Band-   29. Weighted Removable Ice Tube-   30. Optional Bendable Section for Disposable Drinking Straw-   31. Tip for Securing Disposable Drinking Straw-   32. Plastic Housing-   33. Anchoring Weight-   34. Permanent Drinking Straw-   35. Optional Expandable Insert

The described drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the inventionand are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for theinvention may admit to other equally effective equivalent embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side cutaway view of a self chilling beverage systemincorporating a beverage cup, a removable ice tube and a removable lidwith a drinking opening.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of said removable ice tube, as it would be seenif it were not inserted within said self chilling beverage container.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of said removable lid, with said drinkingopening.

FIG. 4 shows a down view of said removable lid with said drinkingopening cover in the closed position.

FIG. 5 shows a down view of said drinking opening cover as it wouldappear if not attached to said snap on lid.

FIG. 6 shows a down view of said removable lid with said drinkingopening cover in the open position.

FIG. 7 shows a side cutaway view of said self chilling beverage systemincorporating an adapted beverage cup, a spiral beverage conductingchannel, and a removable lid.

FIG. 8 shows a down view of an ice holding unit to be attached to theoutside of a magnetic beverage container.

FIG. 9 shows a down view of said magnetic beverage container.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of said ice holding unit as seen from theinside of the curve.

FIG. 11 shows a side view of said magnetic beverage container.

FIG. 12 shows a side view of a disposable drinking straw with a bendablesection.

FIG. 13 shows a side cutaway view of a weighted removable ice tube whichis designed to allow it to be used in a regular glass, cup, or mug, ifdesired, without a special cup being required, said weighted removableice tube containing a permanent drinking straw.

FIG. 14 shows a down view of said weighted removable ice tube.

FIG. 15 shows a side view of one embodiment of said disposable drinkingstraw.

FIG. 16 shows a down view of said weighted removable ice tubeillustrating a permanent drinking straw located in the center of saidice holding chamber filled with ice.

FIG. 17 shows a side cutaway view of said weighted removable ice tubewith said disposable drinking straw inserted within said permanentdrinking straw inside said ice holding chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a side cutaway view of the beverage container 1 incorporatinga removable ice tube 12 and a removable lid 2, which could be solid, orcould incorporate drinking opening 6 and drinking opening cover 7 asillustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6. Lid guides 3 keep said removable lid 2in a secure position for safe and spill free drinking. Drinking opening6 is positioned along the outer edge of said removable lid 2 as shown inFIG. 4 and FIG. 6, for easy access by the user. Said removable lid 2also incorporates a drinking opening cover 7 which is shown in FIG. 5.FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 show said drinking opening cover 7 in the closed andopen positions respectively. In this embodiment said drinking openingcover 7 is attached to the underside of said removable lid 2 by use ofan attaching means 9, also shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6. A slide handle 8,incorporated into said drinking opening cover 7 is visible above the topof said removable lid. Removable ice tube 12 is shown in position withinsaid beverage container 1, secured in position by tube guide 11, whichis attached to the inside of said beverage container 1 preferably bysonic welding. Said removable ice tube 12 extends nearly to the bottomof said beverage container 1, to enable it to be completely surroundedby the beverage inside said beverage container 1. Said removable icetube 12 consists of a beverage conducting channel 14, surrounded by anice holding chamber 13, which is filled with water which turns to icewhen said removable ice tube 12 is placed inside of a refrigeratorfreezer compartment or large freezer unit between uses. Said ice holdingchamber 13 is enclosed within a plastic housing 32. A narrow strip onone side of said beverage conducting channel 14 is not covered by saidice holding chamber 13. This section is open to the beverage containedwithin said beverage container 1, where open areas for beverage flow 15allow beverage to travel from said beverage container 1 into saidbeverage conducting channel 14 to be cooled as it travels upward to saiddrinking opening 6, so it will be cold when consumed. This also insuresthat said beverage will remain in its original state, rather than beingwatered down by melting ice. Cooling action would also radiate outwardthrough said plastic housing 32, allowing the beverage contained withinsaid beverage container 1 to begin the cooling process before beingdrawn into said beverage conducting channel 14, accelerating the coolingspeed of said beverage when the drinking process begins. If desired, aninsulating material such as but not limited to styrofoam, could beincorporated around the outside of said beverage container 1, in a spacemolded into the unit specifically for this purpose, reducing thelessening of cooling effect by radiation of warmer temperatures from thesurrounding air into said beverage container 1.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of said removable ice tube 12, as it would beseen if it were not inserted within said beverage container 1. The innersection of the unit is shown without said plastic housing 32 containingsaid ice holding chamber 13, to make it easier to see said open areasfor beverage flow 15, and the process by which they operate.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of said removable lid 2, with said drinkingopening 6 which is not visible in this figure. Said slide handle 8,incorporated into said drinking opening cover 7 is visible above the topedge of said removable lid 2. A lifting indentation 4 is shownpositioned on the side of said removable lid 2, allowing said removablelid 2 to be removed when desired by the action of pulling up on saidlifting indentation 4 with the fingers.

FIG. 4 shows a down view of said removable lid 2 with said drinkingopening cover 7 in the closed position in relation to said drinkingopening 6. Said drinking opening cover 7 is positioned on the undersideof said removable lid 2, attached to the underside of said removable lid2 by attaching means 9. Drinking opening 6 is shown positioned along theouter edge of said removable lid 2 for easy access by the user. Saiddrinking opening cover 7 extends slightly beyond the edge of saiddrinking opening 6 to prevent said beverage from leaking out when saiddrinking opening cover 7 is closed. Its outer boundaries are indicatedin the drawing by dotted lines A lifting protrusion 5 is shownpositioned on the side of said removable lid 2, allowing said removablelid 2 to be removed when desired by the action of pulling up on saidlifting protrusion 5 with the fingers. If desired said liftingindentation 4 could be used instead of said lifting protrusion 5.

FIG. 5 shows a down view of said drinking opening cover 7 as it wouldappear if not attached to said removable lid 2. Attaching tab 10,incorporating an opening for said attaching means 9, is shown as part ofsaid drinking opening cover 7. Said slide handle 8 is also shown.

FIG. 6 shows a down view of said removable lid 2 with said drinkingopening cover 7 in the open position in relation to said drinkingopening 6. Said drinking opening cover 7 is positioned on the undersideof said removable lid 2, attached to the underside of said removable lid2 by attaching means 9. Drinking opening 6 is shown positioned along theouter edge of said removable lid 2 for easy access by the user. Saiddrinking opening cover 7 extends slightly beyond the edge of saiddrinking opening 6 to prevent said beverage from leaking out when saiddrinking opening cover 7 is closed. The outer boundaries of drinkingopening cover 7 are indicated in the drawing by dotted lines. Saidlifting protrusion 5 is shown positioned on the side of said removablelid 2, allowing said removable lid 2 to be removed when desired by theaction of pulling up on said lifting protrusion 5 with the fingers. Ifdesired said lifting indentation 4 could be used instead of said liftingprotrusion 5.

FIG. 7 is a side cutaway view of said self chilling beverage system 1,comprising said beverage container 1, an adapted beverage cup 16 whichis inserted inside said beverage container 1, a spiral beverageconducting channel 17, and a removable lid 2. Said beverage container 1in the embodiment illustrated herein consists of an outer wall 19 withsaid adapted beverage cup 16 inserted within said outer wall 19, leavinga space between said outer wall 19 and said adapted beverage cup 16,which performs as said ice holding chamber 13 when it is filled withwater and the entire unit is placed inside a refrigerator freezercompartment or large freezer unit. Said adapted beverage cup 16incorporates a spiral beverage conducting channel 17, which travels fromthe lower extremity of said adapted beverage cup 16 circling the outsideof said adapted beverage cup 16 all the way to the upper extremity,culminating in a beverage tube opening 20, which connects to disposabledrinking straw holder 21 at the upper edge of said adapted beverage cup16. The current illustration shows a straight disposable drinking straw22 inserted within said disposable drinking straw holder 21. Said spiralbeverage conducting channel 17 is located inside said ice holdingchamber 13, causing said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 to besurrounded by ice on three sides. This allows beverage traveling upwardthrough said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 to be exposed to thetemperature of the ice within said ice holding chamber 13 which chillssaid beverage as it passes through said spiral beverage conductingchannel 17, allowing it to reach the user of said self chilling beveragesystem as a perfectly chilled beverage without a prolonged wait, andallowing said beverage to remain in its original state, and not bewatered down by melting ice. Cooling action from the ice contained inice holding chamber 13 would also radiate inward through the outside ofsaid adapted beverage cup 16, to begin the cooling process of thebeverage inside said adapted beverage cup 16 before said beverage isdrawn into said spiral beverage conducting channel 17, accelerating thecooling speed of said beverage when the drinking process begins. Ifdesired, an indented spiral path could be molded into the outer wall ofsaid adapted beverage cup 16 to allow said spiral beverage conductingchannel 17 more exposure within said adapted beverage cup 16. Saidspiral beverage conducting channel 17 incorporates a beverage feedopening 18 on the lower extremity, which allows said beverage to bedrawn up into said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 when drinking,and allows excess beverage to return to said adapted beverage cup 16when said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 is not being used fordrinking. Between uses said self chilling beverage container may berinsed by removing said removable lid 2, and placed inside arefrigerator freezer compartment, or inside a large freezer unit, toreturn to its frozen state and be ready for future use.

FIG. 8 shows a down view of an ice holding unit 23 to be attached to theoutside of a magnetic beverage container 27. Said ice holding unitcomprises an outer wall 19, and an outer foam cover 24, which preventscold generated by the ice inside said ice holding unit 23 from beinglost to the outside air, but instead directs it toward the beveragecontained inside the magnetic beverage container 27, illustrated in FIG.11. An adhesive magnet strip 25 is attached to the inner curved surfaceof said ice holding unit 23. Contact points 26 bring said ice holdingunit 23 into contact with said magnetic beverage container 27, allowingcold from the ice inside said ice holding unit 23 to radiate inward,chilling the beverage contained within said magnetic beverage container27. If desired, said ice holding unit 23 could be manufactured withoutsaid outer foam cover 24, and said adhesive magnet strip 25, allowingsaid ice holding unit 23 to be inserted into an alternative adaptationof said magnetic beverage container 27, which does not include theindented metal strip illustrated in FIG. 11, and secured by clips insidesaid beverage container to allow the beverage contained inside saidalternative adaptation of said magnetic beverage container 27 to bechilled before drinking. One ice holding unit 23 could be attached tosaid magnetic beverage container 27, two ice holding units 23 could beused, one on each side of said magnetic beverage container 27, or ifdesired several smaller ice holding units 23 could be spaced around theinside of said magnetic beverage container for increased cooling effect.

FIG. 9 shows a down view of said magnetic beverage container 27. Saidice holding unit 23 could be attached magnetically to the outside ofsaid magnetic beverage container 27, or if the adhesive magnetic stripis omitted, said ice holding unit 23 could be inserted on the inside ofan alternative adaptation of said magnetic beverage container 27, andsecured by clips inside said alternative adaptation of said magneticbeverage container 27, allowing said beverage to be chilled beforedrinking.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of said ice holding unit 23, as seen from theinside of the curve. Said outer foam cover 24 is visible on the ends ofsaid ice holding unit 23. Said adhesive magnet strip 25 is shown locatedin the center of said ice holding unit 23, with contact points 26located above and below said adhesive magnet strip 25 where said iceholding unit 23 comes into contact with said magnetic beverage container27, allowing cold generated by ice within said ice holding unit 23 topenetrate into the beverage within said magnetic beverage container 27.The width of said adhesive magnet strip 25 would be determined by theamount of magnetic attraction required to securely attach said adhesivemagnet strip 25 to said magnetic beverage container 27. Said ice holdingunit 23 would extend upward and downward from said adhesive magnet stripfor a sufficient distance to allow the required cooling effect to occur.Changes in these dimensions would not alter the scope of the inventionand would not disqualify any particular embodiment from the protectionoffered by any patent granted to the invention.

FIG. 11 shows a side view of said magnetic beverage container 27. Saidmagnetic beverage container 27 could be constructed of a material suchas aluminum, glass, or plastic, or any other material which has a highconductivity for cold. A metal band 28 is shown circling the outside ofsaid magnetic beverage container 27. Said metal band is constructed of ametal, such as thin steel sheeting, which is susceptible to magneticattraction, allowing said ice holding units 23 to be attached to saidmagnetic beverage container 27. Said metal band is shown as beingindented into the circumference of said magnetic beverage holder 27,allowing the outer side of said ice holding unit 23 to be flush with theoutside of said magnetic beverage container 27, giving more surface areafor cold absorbtion. If desired, more than one indented metal band 28could be positioned around the outer circumference of said magneticbeverage container 27, at different heights, allowing for an even moreeffective cooling process.

FIG. 12 shows a side view of a disposable drinking straw 22. Theillustration shows said disposable drinking straw 22 incorporating anoptional bendable section 30 which allows the angle of the disposabledrinking straw 22 to be changed to make drinking easier. Said disposabledrinking straw 22 could also be constructed as one straight, solid pieceif desired, for which see the embodiment of the disposable drinkingstraw 22 shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 13 shows a side cutaway view of a weighted removable ice tube 29,which is designed to allow it to be used in a regular glass, cup, ormug, if desired, without a special cup being required, since the weightof said anchoring weight 33 would serve to hold said weighted removableice tube 29 upright and stationary, making use of a customized beveragecontainer unnecessary. Said weighted removable ice tube 29 contains apermanent drinking straw 34. Said permanent drinking straw 34 isillustrated as a straight tube in the center of said weighted removableice tube 29, but if desired said permanent drinking straw 34 could bemolded in a narrow spiral ascending through the center of said weightedremovable ice tube 29, to allow said beverage more time and distance tobe exposed to the cooling effects of said ice holding chamber 13. Inthis case, only the shortened version of said disposable drinking straw22 could be used. Said weighted removable ice tube 29 consists of aplastic housing 32 with said permanent drinking straw 34 centered in avertical alignment within said plastic housing 32. The upper extremityof said permanent drinking straw 34 incorporates a tip for securingdisposable drinking straw 31 to hold disposable drinking straw 22. Useof said disposable drinking straw 22 is suggested, but not required,since, if desired, the user of the unit could simply drink from said tipfor securing disposable drinking straw 31 in the same manner as onewould drink from the drinking tip of a sports bottle. On its lowerextremity, said weighted removable ice tube 29 incorporates an anchoringweight 33 which is molded in the form of a ring which fits around thebase of said permanent drinking straw 34. Said anchoring weight 33 couldbe made of a heavy material, including but not limited to metal or heavyplastic, coated with clear plastic, and separated by a wall of plasticfrom said beverage tube opening 19, as illustrated in FIG. 17, toprevent it from coming into contact with said beverage, thus eliminatingthe risk of contaminating said beverage.

The exact weight of said anchoring weight 33 would be determined by theamount of weight required to hold said weighted removable ice tube 29securely inside a beverage container without allowing it to float to thetop or move around within said beverage container, which would interferewith the cooling effect. Between said plastic housing 32 and saidpermanent drinking straw 34 is ice holding chamber 13 which is filledwith water, which freezes when the unit is placed inside the freezercompartment of a refrigerator or inside a large freezer unit. Ifdesired, a special rack could be designed to hold said weightedremovable ice tubes 29 when units are placed within said freezingcompartment, to save space. When said beverage is consumed by beingdrawn upward through said permanent drinking straw 34, the passage ofsaid beverage through the ice surrounding said permanent drinking straw34, causes said beverage to become chilled, without the danger of beingwatered down by melting ice. Cooling action would also radiate outwardthrough said plastic housing 32, allowing the beverage contained withinsaid beverage container to begin the cooling process before being drawninto said permanent drinking straw 34, accelerating the cooling speed ofsaid beverage when the drinking process begins. Said permanent drinkingstraw 34 may protrude slightly through the bottom of said plastichousing 32, to allow beverage to pass into said permanent drinking straw34 when it is in use and to return to the glass or mug in which it ispositioned when said permanent drinking straw 34 is not in use. Betweenuses, said weighted removable ice tube 29 can be removed from the cup,glass, or mug, rinsed, and placed within a refrigerator freezercompartment, or a large freezer unit to be ready for its next use.

FIG. 14 shows a down view of said weighted removable ice tube 29,showing said plastic housing 32, surrounding said permanent drinkingstraw 34, with said ice holding chamber 13 positioned between saidplastic housing 32 and said permanent drinking straw 34, which islocated in the exact center of said ice holding chamber 13, with theexact center of said ice holding chamber being that point where alldiameters of said ice holding chamber meet when crossing said iceholding chamber. Said ice holding chamber is shown as being filled withice. Said permanent drinking straw 34 is hollow, to allow beverage topass through when drinking, and also allowing said disposable drinkingstraw 22 to be inserted inside said permanent drinking straw 34 ifdesired.

FIG. 15 shows a side view of one embodiment of said disposable drinkingstraw 22. The length and diameter of said disposable drinking straw 22can vary depending upon which embodiment it is being used with. Saiddisposable drinking straw 22 may or may not contain said optionalbendable section for disposable drinking straw 30. Differing sizeparameters, or the inclusion or omission of said optional bendablesection for disposable drinking straw 30 do not change the scope of theinvention, and would not disqualify any particular embodiment from theprotection offered by any patent granted to the invention.

FIG. 16 shows a down view of said weighted removable ice tube 29illustrating a permanent drinking straw 34 located in the exact centerof said ice holding chamber 13, which is shown as being filled with ice.Said permanent drinking straw 34 is hollow, allowing said disposabledrinking straw 22 to be inserted inside said permanent drinking straw 34if desired, as illustrated in FIG. 17.

FIG. 17 shows a side cutaway view of said weighted removable ice tube 29with said disposable drinking straw 22 inserted within said permanentdrinking straw 34, which is located in the exact center of said iceholding chamber 13. Said anchoring weight 33 is located within thebottom section of plastic housing 32, surrounded by plastic, preventingit from being exposed to the beverage within the container into whichsaid weighted removable ice tube has been placed. The exact weight ofsaid anchoring weight 33 would be determined by the amount of weightrequired to hold said weighted removable ice tube 29 securely inside abeverage container without allowing it to float to the top which wouldinterfere with the cooling effect, or move around inside the containerwhich would interfere with the stability of the container since thelowered center of gravity afforded by the weight would make thecontainer less likely to tip and cause the contents to spill. Saidpermanent drinking straw is open on the lower end, which is located evenwith, or possibly extending slightly below the lower extremity of saidweighted removable ice tube 29, allowing beverage to be drawn up, eitherthrough said permanent drinking straw 34 or through said disposabledrinking straw 22 when it is inserted into said permanent drinking straw34. Said plastic housing 32 may be divided into two sections just belowthe upper extremity of said plastic housing 32. An optional expandableinsert 35 molded of a flexible material, such as but not limited tourethane or silicone, may be located between these two sections, toallow for expansion of the water inside said ice holding chamber 13 whenit freezes, preventing breakage of said plastic housing 32 or saidpermanent drinking straw 34 by the increasing pressure of said freezingwater. Between uses, said weighted removable ice tube 29 can be removedfrom the cup, glass, or mug, rinsed, and placed within a refrigeratorfreezer compartment, or a large freezer unit to be ready for its nextuse.

It should be emphasized that the present invention is not limited to thespecific materials or configurations listed in the specification. Anyother materials or configurations which could be used without alteringthe performance and intent of the invention would be acceptablealternatives. Therefore the invention need not be limited to thespecific materials and configurations illustrated herein to be coveredby this specification. All alternative modifications and variations ofthe present invention which fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention are intended to be afforded equal protection under any patentgranted for this invention.

The currently described invention is not limited to those embodimentsdescribed herein. Any design which obtains the desired results, and doesnot depart from the spirit and scope of the currently describedinvention would be considered to fall under the protection of anypatents applied to this invention.

What is claimed is:
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 16. A self chilling beverage system whichcomprises: a non-mechanical cooling unit to lower the temperature of adesignated beverage when combined with either a specially designedbeverage container, or with a personal beverage container.
 17. The selfchilling beverage system of claim 16 which comprises a removable icetube designed to fit inside a beverage container with a removable lid,said beverage container incorporating tube guides on the upper edge ofsaid beverage container allowing said removable ice tube to be securedin position within said beverage container.
 18. The self chillingbeverage system of claim 17 in which said removable lid incorporates anunderside and an upper side, a drinking opening located within theboundaries of said removable lid, a drinking opening cover incorporatingan upper surface and a lower surface, said drinking opening cover beingcapable of alternating between an open and closed position with regardto said drinking opening, said drinking opening cover being attached tothe underside of said removable lid by use of an attaching tab and anattaching means, a slide handle located on the upper surface of saiddrinking opening cover to alternate said drinking opening cover betweenthe open and closed positions, and a lifting indentation or liftingprotrusion to remove said removable lid from said beverage container.19. The self chilling beverage system of claim 17 wherein said removableice tube comprises an ice holding chamber, a beverage conductingchannel, and open areas for beverage flow.
 20. The self chillingbeverage system of claim 19, wherein said removable ice tubeincorporates an upper opening to be used for drinking, said upperopening being available for use whether or not said removable lid isaffixed to said beverage container, as said removable lid incorporates adrinking opening with a drinking opening cover which can be in an openposition for drinking.
 21. The self chilling beverage system of claim19, wherein said removable ice tube is in the form of a weightedremovable ice tube, comprising a plastic housing enclosing an iceholding chamber, with a permanent drinking straw in either a straight orspiral configuration, positioned within said ice holding chamber of saidremovable ice tube in such a way that said permanent drinking straw issurrounded by an identical thickness of ice in every direction, and aweight is positioned inside the lower extremity of said plastic housingdirectly below said ice holding chamber, circled around said permanentdrinking straw near the bottom, partially or totally encased in plasticto prevent exposure to the beverage in said beverage container and theliquid in said ice holding chamber, said weight positioned in such a wayas to contribute to a lower center of gravity for said beveragecontainer, or any drinking vessel in which said weighted removable icetube might be used, allowing said weighted removable ice tube to remainin position within said beverage container without rising and losingcontact with said beverage or causing said container to tip from acenter of gravity which is too high, and allowing said weightedremovable ice tube to be used in a variety of personal drinking utensilsin addition to said beverage container.
 22. The self chilling beveragesystem of claim 21 wherein said weighted removable ice tube incorporatessaid permanent drinking straw within said weighted ice tube, with saidupper opening containing a tip to enable a short disposable drinkingstraw, with a section to adapt to different angles for additionaldrinking comfort, to be inserted, for use in consuming the beveragewithin said beverage container.
 23. The self chilling beverage system ofclaim 21, wherein said weighted removable ice tube incorporates saidpermanent drinking straw positioned in the exact center of said iceholding chamber within said weighted removable ice tube, the exactcenter of said ice holding chamber being that point where all diametersof said ice holding chamber meet when crossing said ice holding chamber,ensuring that said permanent drinking straw would be completelysurrounded by a layer of ice having a uniform thickness on all sides,wherein said permanent drinking straw is of sufficient diameter to allowa full length disposable drinking straw to be inserted within saidpermanent drinking straw.
 24. The self chilling beverage system of claim21, wherein said plastic housing of said weighted removable ice tube ismolded in an upper section and a lower section allowing an expandableinsert to be glued or sonic welded in place between said upper sectionand said lower section, wherein said expandable insert allows saidweighted removable ice tube to expand upward without breaking ifnecessitated by the expansion of the water inside said ice holdingchamber during the freezing process.
 25. The self chilling beveragesystem of claim 17 wherein an adapted beverage cup is positioned insidesaid beverage container in such a way as to create an ice holdingchamber between the inner wall of said beverage container and the outerwall of said adapted beverage cup, and a removable lid.
 26. The selfchilling beverage system of claim 25, wherein said adapted beverage cupincorporating an annular body consisting of a base and a wall includingan outer surface and an inner surface, is positioned as the inside wallof said ice holding chamber, wherein a spiral beverage conductingchannel is positioned around the outer surface of said adapted beveragecup within said ice holding chamber in such a way that said spiralbeverage conducting channel is contacted by ice on three sides,increasing the cooling effect created by said ice holding chamber. 27.The self chilling beverage system of claim 26, wherein said spiralbeverage conducting channel, having an upper extremity and a lowerextremity, incorporates a beverage feed opening at said lower extremityto allow beverage to enter said spiral beverage conducting channel, anda beverage tube opening at said upper extremity which allows saidbeverage to exit said spiral beverage conducting channel through adisposable drinking straw holder molded into the upper edge of thebeverage container, said beverage tube opening so designed as to be usedas a drinking means if desired.
 28. The self chilling beverage system ofclaim 16 comprising a magnetic beverage container with an inside surfaceand an outside surface, wherein a magnet attracting metal strip orstrips can be secured into indented areas around said outside surface ofsaid magnetic beverage container at one or a plurality of levels. 29.The self chilling beverage system of claim 28, incorporating one or aplurality of ice holding units which are formed in a semi-circularshape, the outside surface of said semi-circular units being coveredwith foam or another insulating material, and incorporating a stick onmagnetic strip to form a magnetic attraction with said magnet attractingmetal strip or strips mounted around the outside surface of saidmagnetic beverage container, and contact points being included on saidice holding unit which make contact with said metal strip or strips onsaid magnetic beverage container, securing said ice holding unit inplace.
 30. The self chilling beverage system of claim 16, wherein saidsemi-circular ice holding units which do not incorporate magnetic stripsor a foam covering on said outer surfaces of said ice holding units andsaid beverage container incorporates clips on the inside wall of saidbeverage container, allowing said semi-circular ice holding units to beinserted inside said beverage container and attached to said clips.